What is this scenario about?

Harry, a developer has created a project called Hello XML World. The developer Tom wants to help with the development, and asks Harry how to set up the project. This scenario shows how Harry sets up the project manually, and then how the same is achieved using Buckminster.

Getting the source is not enough

Hey, Harry, this thing does not build!

Harry had forgot to give Tom all the details on how to set up the project. Since Harry (for good reasons) does not want to check in binaries from other sources, he now tells Tom to fetch the missing component from Ibiblio. He instructs Tom where to place it in the project and that Harry also must remove the version information in the file name as manifest otherwise has to be changed for every revision of the used component. Tom agrees that this makes sense and performs the two steps.

Finally the project builds OK

Sharing using Buckminster

Tom, recently having discovered Buckminster, asks Harry if it is OK to automate the process using Buckminster. Tom adds descriptions of how the components depend on each other and where the components can be found (in CVS, and on Ibiblio). This is expressed in some XML files as described in more detail in Hello XML World Example.

Hey Harry, look - no hands!

Tom demonstrates the new setup. Fetching and "installing" things is called materialization in Buckminster terms, and the materialization is started by querying for the top component. Such a query can be entered manually, but Tom has prepared the query and stored it in a file. This type of query is called Component Query (CQUERY). Tom simply uses the File > Open dialog and types in the URL. The file is placed on a web server reachable by everyone.
http://www.eclipse.org/buckminster/pub/demo/snapshots/open-cquery.jpg

Done

Summary

This Usage Scenario shows how even a very simple project can be quite difficult to share. With Buckminster, automation of materialization and building is very simple. New users only need one step "materialize using a component query".